Flexible fabric former and method

ABSTRACT

A FLEXIBLE FORMER AND METHOD FOR SHAPING COLLARS, LAPELS AND THE FORM A CUT OF FLAT FABRIC INCLUDES A GENERALLY CYLINDICAL RELATIVELY FIRM SUPPORT BODY COMPRISED OF AN OUTER CONVERING LAYER STUFFED WITH A RESILIENT PARTICULATE MATERIAL, THE SUPPORT BODY BEING BENDABLE IN A CURVE ALONG ITS LENGTH TO A DESIRED RADIUS TO SIMULATE A SELECTED NECK SIZED THEREBY GIVING A CURVED SHAPE TO THE CUT OF FABRIC DURING PRESSING. THE SUPPORT BODY HAS END LOOPS THROUGH WHICH A TIE MEMBER IS INSERTED AND TIE TO HOLD THE SUPPORT BODY IN THE U-SHAPED CONFIGURATION.

Nov. 30, 1971 H. s. JONES 3,623,248

FLEXIBLE FABRIC FORMER AND METHOD Filed April 50, 1970 v INVENTOR J. 4 HELEN S JONES A TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,623,248 FLEXIBLE FABRIC FORMER AND METHOD Helen S. Jones, 2512 S. University, Denver, Colo. 80120 Filed Apr. 30, 1970, Ser. No. 33,338 Int. Cl. D06f 83/00, 85/00 US. Cl. 38-141 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention in general relates to forms or support devices for shaping cuts of fabrics for making parts of garments and more particularly to a novel and improved flexible former and method for use in shaping collars, lapels and the like. In the tailoring of particular parts of garments the amount of shaping given to the fabric adds significantly to the quality of the finished product. The collar and lapel portions are specific parts of a garment which frequently require substantial shaping. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a novel flexible former suitable for shaping collars, lapels and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a flexible former which may be adjusted to different U-shaped sizes to conform to a particular neck dimension and which will retain its shape under repeated use.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved method of easily and effectively forming a cut of fabric into desired shapes such as a curved collar, and a further object is to provide a novel former for use in carrying out the improved method.

In accordance with the present invention in a preferred embodiment there is provided a flexible former comprising an elongated cylindrical, cushion-like support body including an outer covering layer preferably of a fabric such as drill or denim which is stuffed with a particulate material such as hardwood sawdust. The support body is sufficiently flexible to bend along its length into a desired radius of curvature but with sufficient firmness or body to maintain its shape under repeated use and end loops secured to the support body permit it to be held in a de sired U-shaped configuration for a particular neck dimenslon.

,-Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collar;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a flexible former embodying features of the present invention on which a collar, lapel and the like may be shaped;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the flexible former having an undercollar with interlining sections sewn thereon held on the former and ready for steam-pressing to impart the required shape to the undercollar and interliner sections.

Referring now to the drawings, 'a finished garment collar is represented at 11 in FIG. 1 and typically is in a horseshoe or U-shaped configuration to conform to the back and sides of the neck of the wearer. As background, the collar is made of cuts of a fl'at fabric and in order to shape a flat fabric into the 'U-shaped configuration it is apparent that portions thereof must be stretched and other portions compressed. The collar folds along its length at a break line 12 which is the top ridge of the formed collar. The shaping of the collar is usually accomplished by steam-pressing of the fabric while it is being held in a particular shape and then letting it dry, and this steaming and shaping procedure is repeated until the required shape is achieved.

A flexible former for supporting the fabric while pressing is shown in FIGS. 24 and comprises a cushion-like, generally cylindrical shaped support body 14 which is bendable along its length to a desired radius of curvature so as to simulate a particular neck size. Support body 14 preferably includes an outer covering layer 15 composed of a fabric, such as, denim, drill and the like having its inside filled or stuffed with a particulate filler 16. The outer covering layer 15 is of a tubular or hollow cylindrical shape and may be made using a generally rectangular-shaped cut of fabric which has been folded into a cylinder along its length with the sides being secured together and the ends closed as with stitching.

The filler 16 is preferably a loose pack of resilient particles with air spaces between particles such as is provided with hardwood sawdust. The particular advantage of hardwood sawdust is that it gives the former sufiicient body or substance without sacrificing the desired flexibility to assume the desired U-shaped configuration. While it is understood that other materials can be used, they have not been found to be as effective in retaining pins and giving the desired firmness to the former. The above described construction therefore provides a support body which is sufliciently flexible along its length to bend from the essentially straight configuration shown in FIG. 2 to a U- shaped configuration of a desired radius of curvature as shown in FIG. 4 and yet provide a cushion-like firm support for the cut of fabric being shaped.

The support body 14 has loop members 21 and 22 secured to the ends, preferably by sewing, and it may be held in a desired U-shaped configuration by slipping a string or ribbon 24 through the loop members and tying the ribbon to hold the ends of the body a selected spaced distance apart.

In use, the collar is usually comprised of several layers of material including an outer layer, commonly referred to as an upper collar, and an under layer, commonly referred to as the undercollar, together with an interfacing or inner layer between the upper collar and undercollar. An undercollar 26 with interfacing sections 27 and 28 secured thereto is shown as being mounted on the support body 14 in FIG. 4 in position for the shaping operation. The undercollar 26 has a center seam 29 and adjacent outturned tapered portions 31 and 32. The interfacing sections 27 and 28 are sewn along their outer edges to the top of the undercollar on each side of the seam with stitches 34. The break line for the undercollar and interfacing sections which straddle the former is represented in dashed lines 35. A plurality of straight pins 36 are inserted through the interfacing sections and undercollar into the support body to hold them in place along opposite sides of the break line. The steam press or iron is then passed over the collar and the collar is then allowed to dry. This pressing and drying procedure is repeated until the collar takes the desired circular form.

In summarizing the procedure for making the collar, the fabric to be shaped is first laid or placed on the former and the former is then bent along its length into a desired U-shaped configuration where it may be held by tying the looped ends together. The fabric is pined to the former and is then repeatedly steam-pressed or ironed and dried followed by the removal of the fabric from the former by removal of the pins. The former can be subjected to repeated pinning and applications of steam heat without losing its shape.

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example and that changes in details of structure or procedure may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible fabric former for collars and the like comprising a generally cylindrical body having a substantially uniform outer diameter throughout its lengthwise extent including an outer covering layer and an inner filler of a particulate material giving shape to the covering layer, said support body being bendable along its length and having means to draw the ends of the body to a preselected distance from one another to shape the body in a desired radius of curvature relative to the length thereof to conform the body to a selected neck size for a selected collar size.

2. A flexible former as set forth in claim 1 wherein said outer covering layer is a relatively porous rectangular shaped cut of fabric folded longitudinally into a cylinder and sewn across the ends along adjacent sides.

3. A flexible former as set forth in claim 1 wherein said outer covering layer is made of a denim material.

4. A flexible former as set forth in claim 1 wherein said outer covering layer is made of a drill material.

5. A flexible former as set forth in claim 1 wherein said filler is a hardwood sawdust.

6. A flexible former as set forth in claim 1 wherein said support body has a loop secured at each end through which a tie member may extend to cooperate with said loops to draw the ends of the body together and secure the body in the desired configuration.

7. A flexible former for shaping collars and the like comprising a firm, generally cylindrical, support body having a substantially uniform outer diameter throughout its lengthwise extent, said body including an outer covering layer of a fabric material and an inner filler of hardwood sawdust giving shape to the outer covering layer, said body being bendable along its length to a desired radius of curvature and having end loop members secured at the ends of the support body through which a tie member may extend to draw the ends of the body to a preselected distance from one another and secure the body in a desired U-shaped configuration to conform the body to a selected neck size for supporting a cut collar of a selected size and the like having pins securing the cut collar to the support body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,486,718 11/1949 McKinley et al. 38141 2,719,657 10/1955 Allen et a1. 22384 2,810,219 10/1957 Craig 38-144 3,008,252 11/1961 Robinson 38-141 2,774,601 12/1956 White 128164 X JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner G. V. LA RKIN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 22352.1, 52.2 

